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To college and NBA basketball fans during the 1980s and 1990s, that name brings back many memories, like hoops at Amarillo College and the NBA dunk contest,

But above all, what Dallas native Spud Webb brought to the game of basketball was the site of a little man — he stands 5-foot-7 — holding his own in a land of basketball giants.

“My love of the game,” said the 49-year-old Webb is why he was able to overcome the odds and eventually play professionally for 12 years. “That’s what kept me going. That’s what got me over the hump is I just loved playing basketball. I tell young people today never give up. The reality is, no matter where you come, from you can make it.”

Webb played one year of prep basketball, finally making the varsity his senior year at Wilmer-Hutchins High School. He helped Midland College to a national title in the 1981-82 season where he played away games at Amarillo College, Clarendon College and Frank Phillips College.

“I still have friends from those days in Amarillo and Midland,” Webb said. “I remember how small the gym was in Amarillo. Growing up in the city life it was a shocker for an 18-year-old kid to see a place like Amarillo. But I enjoyed it. I still see a lot of those guys I played with and against and we talk about the memories. Like the guy here today from Clarendon. I remember in Clarendon the fans would pound those buckets. Your ears would be ringing all the way back to Midland.”

Webb, who scored 8,072 career points in the NBA with four different teams between 1985-1998, was in Amarillo on Saturday as part of a barbecue contest sponsored by Sam’s Club. He was a late replacement as a contest judge for former NFL star William “The Fridge” Perry. Perry is ill and in the hospital, Webb said.

Webb graciously signed autographs for a couple of hours, chatted with fans and sat down for a question-and-answer session.

■ So do you know The Fridge (who stands 6-foot-2 and weighs more than 300 pounds)?

“I know him really well. It’s hilarious when we are together. I just follow his lead. Everybody will watch him walk through since he is so big and I just walk around unnoticed. He’s a good dude. He’s been off and on sick lately so I was glad to help him out.”

■ What you are doing these days?

“I don’t play the game anymore. If I play something it’s golf. I work for the Dallas Mavericks D League team, The Texas Legends. I’m the president.”

■ You birth first name is Anthony. How’d you get the nickname Spud?

“A family friend gave it to me just after I was born. Thank goodness it’s not on my birth certificate, but that’s all I have ever been known by.”

■ Fans rooted like crazy for you because of your height. Are you a guy who roots for the underdog?

“Not really. Now, if there is a short guy playing on TV today I will get calls from friends who tell me I have to watch this guy. But I like to watch the guys who are multi-talented like LeBron James.”

■ You still a fan of the college and NBA game?

“Yeah, I follow my college, North Carolina State. And then with my job I see a lot of college games.”

■ You still live in Dallas. Are you a Cowboys fan?

“Die hard. My advice for Cowboys fans? I used to cry when they’d lose. Now I just I go to the ATM machine.”

■ You played for the late Jimmy Valvano at North Carolina State. What was playing for Jimmy V like?

“He treated you like a man. His personality was so big that it overshadowed his great coaching ability. He played the game. He would be out there shooting with us and giving it to you with, ‘You can’t shoot.’ His speech (of don’t ever give up) before he passed moves me every time I hear it. Because I know how great a person he was. When he was sick, and we would go see him, he was more enthused to see you. He was still that Jimmy V.

‘‘He was a coach you wanted to run through walls for because he had your back. For cancer to take him that young is sad.”

■ One of the most memorable NBA All-Star games was 1986 when you won the slam dunk contest in Dallas over favorite (and Atlanta Hawks teammate) Dominique Wilkins. What do remember about that day?

“Dominique was the dunk champ at that time. He had beaten (Michael) Jordan and was the heavy favorite. That was my rookie year and back then I was just busy trying to make the team. We were never sitting around slam dunking, so Dominique had never seen me dunk before. And I mean we were together every day. If I wasn’t at his house, he was at mine. We went out and ate all the time together. When I dunked at the 1986 All-Star game he was looking at me like, ‘You lousy dog.’ We laugh about it to this day and I still give him heck about how I beat him that day.”

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James Madison, "Father of the Constitution" and chief author (1794): ""I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents."

found out something about the "Spud man". Knew he had a connection with Midland, but thought it was because he'd gone to Midland High or Lee. There was a donut company in Midland called "Spudnuts" in the 1960s and 1970s. They even had a store here in Amarillo as late as 1974 or 1975 (on McMasters street.

It was fun to watch that 1986 Slam dunk competition. Here was this little bitty guy that was outjumping the big 6-7 and 7-foot guys.